Far Off Memory
by Xelbie
Summary: AU! What if Emma was seriously injured when Henry tried to stop the car when leaving in the beginning of "An Apple as Red as Blood"? The curse breaks as Emma's heart stops temporarily during surgery. When her heart stopped, it caused her to have slight brain damage: amnesia. Will making her believe be easier now that everyone remembers who they are? Or will her walls thicken?
1. Broken Clock

_Chapter One_

**Broken Clock**

Mary Margret tried to follow her friend down into the ICU, but Doctor Whale stopped her. "We're taking Emma into surgery, Mary Margret, you can't go down there."

"Please, I-," She started desperately.

He put his hands on her shoulders, "Please, Ms. Blanchard. Stay here and look after Henry, the nurse went to give him a checkup. He's in exam room two." The doctor moved away from her and started to head down the hall, leaving Mary Margret alone in the corridor.

Tears threatened to spill as she turned and walked towards the exam room. Ever since she had gotten the phone call from Henry, she wasn't sure what happened. Everything seemed like a blur.

The call had occurred during the middle of the night. She vaguely remembered speaking into her phone drowsily, only to be answered by Henry's frantic voice filling her ears. The boy had said something about them crashing and it being his fault. He told her to call an ambulance to head to the edge of town. That was more than enough to do as she was told and hurry to the outskirts of Storybrooke.

The image of Emma's limp body being carried out of the yellow bug and rushed onto a gurney would always be imprinted onto her mind. The sheriff's lifeless body was bruised and bloody, her head wound caused her silky blonde hair to be stained red as it was plastered onto the side of her face. The only thing that gave her some relief was the fact that the paramedics had said she was still breathing.

Henry hadn't been injured at all besides for a tiny bruise on his cheek and a few cuts, but the nurse wanted to check him over just in case. Mary Margret opened the door to the exam room to find the nurse wrapping a bandage around the boy's hand. He looked up at her and she smiled at him lightly. If Emma wasn't there, she would have to be the one who would watch over Henry.

When the nurse was done and walked out of the room to leave them alone. Right when she did, he said, "Please don't call my mom to tell her I'm here. Is Emma okay?" The boy asked, fear in his tone.

Mary Margret walked closer, "I'm going to have to call Regina soon, and… I can wait a bit, but, Henry… Your mother's going into surgery right now. She has some internal bleeding they need to take care of and there was a lot of glass…"

Henry's eyes began to water and he whispered, "It's all my fault, Ms. Blanchard. Emma was leaving Storybrooke, but I couldn't let her, so I made the car go off the road. Before we crashed, Emma shielded me and…" Mary Margret hugged the boy gently as he sobbed. "Now she could die."

She pulled back and looked into his eyes, "Listen, your mom is one of the strongest people I know. She won't go down so easily." The boy nodded and the woman sighed, "But we do have to talk about something, Henry. You can't keep believing in these stories."

"What do you mean?" He sniffed.

"I am not Snow White. You should know after I tore apart David and Abigail's marriage…" She started.

The boy interjected, "You didn't destroy it! It was never suppose to happen; _you_ belong with him because he's Prince Charming!"

"Please, Henry! You believing in this fantasy will not only harm you in the long run, but others as well-." She was cut off when the boy yelled.

"But they're true-!"

Suddenly, a bright flash of light washed over the two of them and Mary Margret could only stare at the boy as memories flooded her mind.

She remembered Regina banishing her from the kingdom, making her look like a criminal. She recalled falling in love with Charming after stealing from him. Finally, she got memories of when she was pregnant with Emma and being scared for her daughter's safety when Regina threatened them all with the curse.

She remembered Rumplestiltskin's words very clearly, about how her child would save them all on her twenty-eighth birthday. Snow felt a tear trickle down her face as she realized she had been living with her daughter for six months now. Images of Emma flowed through her.

_She's grown up to be so beautiful and independent,_ Snow thought fondly. Though there were a few bumps in the road like with Emma's trusting issues and her horrible past, she couldn't have asked for a better daughter. To Snow, she was perfect.

"Ms. Blanchard?" Henry's voice pulled her out of her thoughts. _And I also have such a sweet grandson_. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, Henry… You were right," She whispered with a smile.

The boy's eyes widened, "You remember? You're Snow White?" Her only response was a nod before the boy launched himself at her, "Awesome! I get to call you grandma now!"

Snow laughed, "I guess you do," she hugged her grandson happily, for a moment, until a strange feeling crept into her stomach. Then she realized, _my daughter is in surgery_. "Come on Henry!"

She bolted out of the room with Henry scampering right behind. Both of them ran through the doors of the ICU. The two stopped outside of the room and through the glass walls that separated the room, they could see Doctor Whale using paddles against Emma's chest as the chant of "Clear!" could be heard.

Snow couldn't help herself from entering the room, "What's wrong?" She asked immediately.

Whale turned sharply only to call a nurse, "Get them out of here!"

The nurse obeyed and walked up to her, "Your majesty, I'm sorry but-." Through the sound of the chaos, Snow's heart stopped as she heard and saw the monitor's flat line.

"No, NO!" Snow fought furiously against two nurses who tried to hold her back. "EMMA!" Suddenly, strong arms caught her from behind and pulled her out of the room. Kicking and flailing, she managed to elbow her captor in the face and she scrambled away from the person.

"Snow, it's me!" The voice called her back.

The woman whipped around to see the love of her life in front of her. He stood tall with Henry wrapped in a hug to his side. It was him, "Charming…?"

"Yes, it's me," he smiled at her.

Tears poured freely and streamed down her cheeks as she ran and buried her head into her husband's shoulder, crying happily for the fact that they were together, but weeping because their daughter was gone. "Oh, Charming…! That's our little girl in there, I just got her back, I can't-, I can't-!"

David cooed to her softly while rubbing her back. "I know, I know… but we have to believe that she can make it through this…"

As if on cue, Whale walked through the doors and approached them slowly, "Your Highness… Your daughter is stable, but… she flat lined for about eight minutes, because of this, she has some brain damage."

David moved forward, "What does that mean?"

Whale continued, "Emma could have some issues remembering things. It shouldn't be permanent, but when she wakes up, don't push her too hard. We'll assess her lightly on what she remembered, but until she wakes, there isn't much we can do but monitor her."

Snow let out a strangled cry. She just got her daughter back, but depending on what Emma remembered, would she be losing her best friend in exchange?

* * *

It was four hours later when a shout came from the room. Snow and Charming had been sitting on a bench while Henry slept soundly on his grandmother's lap. The two of them looked over at their daughter's room when they heard the yell. Even Henry had awoken to the noise and looked around curiously. All of them shot up when another cry was heard.

Snow and Charming burst through the doors with Henry in between them, looking to see Emma clutching her arm painfully while cursing animatedly. Both of them sighed in ultimate relief when they saw their daughter, alive and awake. Even though she had many bandages wrapped around numerous places on her body, she looked much better than she had before. However, there was a strange look in her eyes. The blonde's eyes were steely and narrowed, almost as if she were daring them to step closer.

Before anyone else could do anything, Henry sprang forward and hugged Emma's lower body to not hurt her. "Emma! I'm so sorry about what happened! I just couldn't let you leave Storybrooke!"

Emma quickly pushed Henry away from her awkwardly, "What the-? _Storybrooke_? We're in Boston, and who are you, kid?"

Everyone froze. Snow spoke up, "You don't remember us…?"

The blonde stared at them confused. "Remember? I've never even met you before; is this a joke?"

Doctor Whale walked in behind them, taking in the scene before saying grimly, "Just as we feared… She doesn't remember ever coming to Storybrooke."

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Here's an idea I had. After the season finale I had major Charming Family feels. So here it is. I'm really sad that OUAT is over and I don't wanna wait so long for season three D:. Well, anyways, I just wanted to point out three things. _

_One: This takes place around the beginning of "An Apple as Red as Blood" and is based off the time when Henry and Emma are leaving Storybrooke. Also wanted to just say that Regina wasn't there at the hospital to find Henry since people would probably mob her if she went outside her house.__The last thing is that Rumplestiltskin doesn't bring magic to Storybrooke (So no Wraith and no other world, just to help with the plot line here)._

_Tell me what you guys think ~_Xelbie


	2. Complications

**[A/N]: **_This will probably be the ONLY time I put a disclaimer since I'm lazy and if I owned ONCE I wouldn't be here. I don't own ONCE, or it's characters/plot line. Everything is K&H's..._

* * *

_Chapter Two_

_**Complications**_

**Emma**

Emma shifted in her bed, wincing slightly at the pain, "Um… Sorry. What did you say your name was again?" The woman with short hair was almost always in her room. For the past three days, she was always visiting. Since the blonde slept most of the day, the other woman would read or knit while sitting in the same chair twenty-four seven.

The pixie haired female looked up from her magazine and opened her mouth slightly to say something, but closed it and sighed. "Snow… My name is Snow."

"Oh," Emma said slowly, "Snow… As in Snow White?"

The woman nodded and spoke in a simple tone and laughed lightly. "Yeah, something like that."

This answer caused the bail bonds woman to raise an eyebrow slightly. _What kind of reply is that_…? She wondered mentally. _She can't honestly mean… No Emma, you're being ridiculous_. "So, Snow… Don't think I'm trying to drive you away or anything, but why are you here…?"

Snow stared at her for the longest time before saying, "You're my best friend and I want to be here for you." There was a moment of silence and both women didn't know what to say, "I have to go check in with my husband. I'll be back in a bit, okay?"

She shrugged, "Sure." Emma then watched as the woman picked up her bag and exited the room. Then she was alone.

Emma sighed and sunk her head back into her pillow, thinking deeply. She felt slightly guilty about the whole situation. The amnesia hadn't cleared up one bit and she could see the hurt inside her "best friend's" eyes whenever she visited. What was even more depressing was that she couldn't even remember her own son. The only thing she recalled was the few minutes she had with him when he was first born before she had to let him go.

However, no matter how hard she wracked her brain, the only things she knew of was her life in Boston, Tallahassee, and Oregon, while her time in the foster homes as a kid were a blur. Doctor Whale, the flirty blonde man, had told her that it was March 15th, which meant she had to have been in there for at least six months.

_Wherever "there" is_, she said to herself. She hadn't honestly believed the kid when he told her that they were in a town called Storybrooke. Though, every nurse she had asked had proved it to be true. Closing her eyes drowsily, she felt herself slipping into slumber again. Emma was to be released later that day; then she would be able to see what this strange town was all about.

* * *

**Snow**

Snow could barely make it out of the room without breaking down into tears. The way Emma looked at her just made her heart break. The cautious and guarded look that she wore reminded her about the time when Snow bailed her out of jail. It was those eyes that wanted to question and analyze everything around her so she wouldn't get hurt.

Maybe this was some other curse Regina had done unknowingly. _When I remember who I am, my own daughter wouldn't, _a tear streaked down her face. _After all this time, she won't remember any of it._ All the talks and time spent together would be gone.

A part of her was angry at the blonde for trying to leave with Henry without saying anything. Had the six months she had been there gone down the drain? It hurt her when her grandson told her how they got into the accident in the first place. _She was willing to leave everything behind._

Snow walked up to Granny's diner and wiped her eyes quickly, making sure there were no traces of tears. Charming was spending time with Henry at the moment since the young boy was taking his mother's condition hard. He still blamed himself for what had happened to Emma, so now she and David were doing everything they could to Henry occupied. The bell on the door jingled as the woman entered the restaurant. Eyes turned to her as she walked calmly over to her family, who were both sitting in a booth on the far end of the shop.

So many things had happened within the last few days. First, her daughter and grandson were in a car crash. Second, she had to handle a mob of people who wanted to kill Regina. Then, she had to deal with all the citizens that would come to her asking when and if they would be able to get home.

Many were in a panic when the curse broke. They all wanted to either destroy the Evil Queen, or ditch town. However many problems she had, most of the towns people tried not to bother her or Charming. Ruby, Granny, Archie, and Grumpy had taken up their spots on the crisis response team, knowing that she and David wanted to make sure their daughter was all right.

Despite the broken curse, several things stayed the same. Everyone still resided inside Storybrooke for the time being due to the fact that if someone crossed the town line, they would lose their memories. Many were still cautious since they had no idea why or how the curse broke in the first place.

Another thing Snow and the others found out was that Mr. Gold, or Rumplestiltskin, had found his true love, Belle. Apparently, Regina had kept the woman locked up in a separate part of the hospital for twenty-eight years. However, this did not settle well with the Dark One, and now he was officially at war with Regina.

_What am I supposed to do?_ Snow wondered hopelessly, but kept a fake smile on for her husband and grandson. She slid into the booth beside David, seated directly across from Henry, who had been slurping his soup until she came. He immediately shot questions at her, "How's Emma? Does she remember? When is she coming home?"

Snow said, "Whoa there, Henry, one question at a time, okay?" She sighed and David took her hand from across the table. "Emma's fine right now, she's just been waiting until she could get released, but no… She doesn't remember yet."

The boy looked downcast at his meal. Charming changed the subject, "Did you tell her about where she lives?"

The black-haired woman shook her head. She didn't want to think of that. _I'm practically a stranger to her, she won't want to live with me, especially now since Charming and Henry are moving in, _the thought made her eyes water. Fresh tears began to drip down her cheeks involuntarily once again. Using her hands to stifle her sobs, she tried desperately to halt the sorrow that was fueling the crying.

Henry then looked like he was close to tears as well and she scolded herself. _Come on, Snow, you're crying in front of your grandson!_ Comforting arms enveloped her and she stuttered, "I-I'm so-sorry. I shouldn't b-be-."

"Shh, it's okay. I know this is hard, for all of us," Charming was holding her gently as he spoke to her and Henry, "We can't always think of the worst, Emma will get her memories back, I'm sure of it."

Snow stayed quiet. In the corner of her eye, she could see Red coming to take her order, but spun around on her heel at the sight of the family moment. _I shouldn't be doing this here._ She was supposed to be their leader.

She was brought out of her thoughts when, suddenly; Henry spoke excitedly, "We have to help her!"

She was confused, "What do you mean?"

"Gramps was telling me earlier about how he remembered meeting Kathryn by seeing the windmill," He explained.

Charming pointed out, "Those were fake memories implanted by Regina, though-."

"It still worked! That's how you jog someone's memory, right? We just have to show her familiar things," The boy finished.

Snow thought this was a good idea, however, she knew that her daughter wasn't a sentimental woman. They would need to find very strong mementos if they were going to try and recover her memory this way. "Good thinking, Henry." He beamed at her, "Listen, Emma's getting out of the hospital in twenty minutes, so I'm going to meet her there, are you guys tagging along?"

David looked as though he were going to say something, but Henry cut him off, "Gramps and I are going to Mr. Gold's shop."

She looked to her husband, "You're going to see Rumplestiltskin?"

He looked a bit uncomfortable under her gaze, "He has her baby mobile, so there's something we can show her… and I also want to ask him if he can use any magic or something…"

"Charming!"

"I won't make any deals, I promise."

After a long pause she finally said, "Fine, but you two be careful. I'll meet you back at the apartment."

* * *

When Snow arrived at the hospital, she saw Emma dressed up in her usual clothes that she had personally brought the blonde, which was her red leather jacket, a tank top, jeans and boots. The woman was turning in her release papers just when she reached her. "Oh, hey Snow."

"Hey Emma," she smiled. _If only things could have stayed this way_. Casual and kind. "How are you feeling?"

She shrugged, "My head is fine so far, the Whale just said not to over exert myself… and there's something I wanted to ask you. Erm… He also said I was living with you, which makes sense since you brought me clothes and all, but…"

_Oh no_, Snow gulped. "You… want to move out…?" When the woman nodded, she felt her heart break. "I understand," she said simply, but she was already fighting back tears.

Emma looked a bit uncomfortable, "I'm sorry, Snow, it's just- I need time to adjust... I was actually thinking about heading back to Boston…"

"No!" The word was out of her mouth before she could think.

Her daughter blinked, confused, "W-What?"

"I mean… You should stay… for Henry's sake. He really wants you here," Snow reasoned. "Please."

The blonde stared at her for a bit before sighing, "All right. I'll stay for a week or so… is there an inn around here or something?"

"There's Granny's Inn up the street."

Emma nodded, "Sounds like that's the winner."

* * *

**Emma**

Both women sat in the car in silence. No music, no chatting, the only sound that could be heard was the humming of the engine. Normally, for Emma, the less conversation the better, but she felt awkward sitting in a car with her supposed best friend, not being able to talk about anything. She felt that it was the perfect time to ask a question that had been bugging her, "So… Apparently, I'm the sheriff of this town?"

Snow glanced at her with a strange expression. Was that sadness she saw? It was. However, there was something else hiding in her eyes. It was something along the lines of pain and… _pity?_ She thought. The woman finally replied, "Yes, you are. The former sheriff passed away."

_Well shit_, she thought. Emma hadn't been expecting that, "How the hell did I get the job, then?"

A ghost of a smile passed over her friends face, "You were his deputy."

One last question, "How did he die…?" The smile died.

"…Heart attack."

The blonde looked over the driving woman. What was it that she wasn't telling her? There was something in Snow's tone that sounded distant and faint. "Were you in love with him or something?" Emma asked softly, staring out of the windshield at the street before them. They were currently stopped at a red light.

The black-haired woman met her eyes and she confirmed it. The look in her eyes was sympathy and sorrow, "Not me," Snow whispered. The light changed green.

* * *

**Snow**

At the apartment, Snow helped Emma carry her boxes to her yellow bug and since there were only three boxes, it didn't take long. Finally, the blonde grabbed her leather parka off the coat hanger before turning to her. "So, I guess I'll see you around. Thanks for… everything."

She nodded to her daughter, "Of course. If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Emma simply nodded and closed the door behind her as she exited.

Then, Snow was alone. She was extremely grateful that the boys weren't there as she let the pent up tears flow free. Despite the fact that her family was less than two minutes away, she felt incredibly lonely.

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Hey guys! I got an awesome response to the first chapter, so here's the second chappie! I'm thinking this fic will probably be around 10ish chapters? It really depends. Anyways, this chapter was pretty angsty. Poor Charmings don't have their Emma back quite yet. Also, I wanted to take the chance to point out that the chapter is divided quite a lot, but the point of view changes as well. I've taken the liberty to labeling each part just in case you guys get confused or you can't follow along with the POV._

_Thanks to all the faves/follows/reviews! :D ~_Xelbie

**Next Chapter: First Attempt**


	3. First Attempt

_Chapter Three_

**First Attempt**

David entered the shop with Henry close to his side. The door opened with a small trill from the belle that hung from the knob. He felt himself subconsciously pulling his grandson closer to his side. Now that Gold and Regina were practically mortal enemies, he didn't want Rumplestiltskin to have any ideas of using the boy as bait or revenge on the Evil Queen.

The two exchanged a look as the shop remained quiet. Then, as if on cue, a woman stepped out of the back room, and used her arm to swish away the curtains that hid the opening. She was wearing a floral patterned dress and her burgundy curls lied on her shoulders. _This must be Belle, _he had heard of Rumplestiltskin's lover, but he had never seen her before. With a smile, she addressed them, "Hello, may I help you?"

Charming responded with the same polite tone, "We needed to talk to Mr. Gol—Rumplestiltskin."

She hesitated and then nodded before leaving into the back room. The grandfather and grandson were left alone once again. Henry looked up to him and asked, "Do you think Mr. Gold will help us?"

"I'm not sure," he replied, "I think it's a matter of _can_ he help us." Everyone knew that The Dark One was the expert in everything magical and, well, dark. He could do almost anything with magic, for a price. Which begged the question, what would be the price of bringing magic into a situation that had none to begin with?

It was then that Mr. Gold limped into the room, cane and all, with Belle trailing behind him. "Ah, Prince Charming, I heard about your daughter. What an unfortunate way for the curse to break. That aside, may I ask why you're here?"

David said, "I would like to purchase the mobile that was here not too long ago."

The shop owner chuckled, "That won't bring back her memories. I doubt she's even seen it before." When the two Charmings stared at him, he went on, "Yes, I know all about her condition as well. It's horribly ironic that when you would get back your memories, your daughter would lose hers."

Anger bubbled up within the King. It was partially Gold's fault that they were there in the first place. _If he hadn't created the curse, none of this would have happened, _he thought bitterly. However, he knew the man was right. Emma's mobile wouldn't help her, but what he really wanted to ask was, "Is there _anything_ you can do to help her?"

"I'm afraid not," Rumplestiltskin stated simply.

Charming clenched his teeth and stepped closer, "You made Snow forget who I was, but you can't make a potion that will bring memories back?"

"Miss Swan is in no pain, no heartache, and no apparent distress. There's nothing to bring back, your majesty. It's not as if her memories are gone, she just can't remember them. Either that… or she doesn't _want_ to remember."

The shop was silent as those words finally seeped into David's skin. Would Emma really not want to remember? He then realized that the only thing she would recall him as being was David Nolan, the man who broke her best friend's heart. The man who led on two women. That wasn't what he wanted his daughter to see in him. Maybe she did want to forget after all. Regina, him, Gold, and the whole fairytale theory, she didn't want to believe. _But would she really want to forget Henry?_ No.

"Grandpa?" Henry tugged on his jacket a bit.

"Emma wasn't like that; she _isn't_ like that. No matter how much she didn't want to believe in the curse, there was a part of her that did, I'm sure of it. She would never intentionally forget about Henry," he finished, looking from his grandson to Gold.

"Of course not," Rumplestiltskin said, "Well, if that's all you needed, then I'll be going."

"Rumple," Belle scolded.

The Dark One stopped and looked back at the two men, "I'm sorry, really, but I can't help you." With that, he fled back within the deeper part of his shop.

"Sorry," Belle said sincerely and followed, leaving the two alone with no answers that would help Emma.

* * *

David dropped off Henry back at the apartment with Snow and then left to the sheriff station. With his daughter out of commission, he figured he should step in and help out. However, he was surprised when he saw a yellow bug parked in the sheriff stall of the parking lot. Quickly, he parked his pick-up truck and entered the building.

When he got to the sheriff office, he spotted blonde locks peeking out of the corner of the room. Moving closer quietly, he could see Emma staring down at something on one of the desks. She was sniffling slightly and he wanted so desperately to comfort her. Suddenly, she turned and drew her gun, still stifling her tears. She immediately relaxed, "Oh, it's you," she said simply while whipping around to hide her face. "I was just… Mary Margret said I was sheriff… so I thought I'd check it out."

David looked down at her hand to see that she was holding onto the sheriff's badge. "You are sheriff, and a pretty good one, if you ask me," he complemented gently.

"I remember him," she said quietly.

This sent a jolt into his mind. She was already remembering things? Relief and joy flooded through him, but he remained calm for he knew exactly who his daughter was talking about. "You mean… Graham?" He asked softly.

Emma nodded, "Yeah. I remember him saying he needed to find his heart," she laughed slightly. "At first I thought he was speaking in a metaphor, but then I realized… He meant it. Isn't that strange?"

Charming didn't know how to respond at first. A piece of evidence was right in front of her. The curse was real; she really didn't want to believe. "Yeah," he said simply.

The woman stood up straight and put the badge down gently on the desk. Quickly wiping her eyes she addressed him again, "So… what's your reason for being here so late?"

"Oh well… I thought I would help out since I know you're dealing with everything and all…" he trailed off.

"You want to help me…?" Her tone sounded a bit strange, almost curious, as if she were questioning his motives. Then she offered suddenly, "You want to be sheriff? I'm perfectly fine with just being the deputy again.

He shook his head, "How about this?" David picked up the badge on the desk and took her hand. He plopped it into the center of her palm and curled her fingers around it. "_You_ be sheriff and _I'll_ be the deputy. Like I said, you are a really good sheriff."

Emma met his eyes for the first time and said, "Thanks… for listening. It's late, so I guess I'll, um, see you tomorrow." Grabbing her keys, she moved passed him and called out, "Say hi to Mary Margret for me. Night, deputy!"

He heard the doors shut and said, "Goodnight... Emma."

* * *

**[A/N]: **_Hi guys! Sorry this is really late, but hey! I made it through testing week! *dances* So here's a celebratory chapter. I get off of school this week, so expect updates! Anywho, this chapter was kind of sad to write. It had a lot of Daddy Charming and Emma fluff if you hadn't noticed. This chappie was about Emma settling into Storybrooke a bit more, so next chapter we'll see a bit more detail and interesting scenes. Expect Regina to make an appearance soon! Maybe not next chapter, but the one after._

_Thanks for all the faves/follows/reviews! You guys are awesome! :D ~ _Xelbie

**Question: Do you guys want longer chapters? Or is this length good enough?**

**Next Chapter:** **_We are Stories_**


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